Fabric treating and feeding apparatus with constant tension roller drive



Feb. 12, 1957 2,781,192

W. C. GILFILLAN FABRIC TREATING AND FEEDING APPARATUS WITH CONSTANT TENSION ROLLER DRIVE Filed Sept. 8, 1954 2 She ets-Sheet l Feb. 12, 1957 w c GILFILLAN 2,781,192

FABRIC TREATING AND FEEDING APPARATUS WITH CONSTANT TENSION ROLLER DRIVE Filed Sept. 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FABRIC TREATING AND FEEDING APPARATUS VHTH CGNSTANT TENSlON ROLLER DRIVE William C. Gilfillan, Willow Grove, 2a., assignor to H. W.

Butterworth and Sons Company, Bethayre, ?a., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 8, 1954, Serial No. 454,791

11 Claims. (Cl. 271-23) The present invention pertains to the treatment of fabric materials and is concerned especially with the problem of maintenance of a continuously advancing web or rope of material under substantially uniform tension throughout the length under treatment, while it is subjected to various operations such as washing, dyeing, bleaching or drying.

It is well recognized in connection with treatment of fabrics that variations in tension are highly undesirable, both because of the possibility of direct damage to the fabrics created by the stress and because of the fact that variations in stress cause fluctuations in the efiectiveness of the treatment, so that the treatment is in part ineffectual and in any case unreliable from the standpoint of uniformity.

Many suggestions have been made for solving this problem. For example, material has been fed into the treating apparatus, such as a tank, by driven feed rolls, th ace in a succession of loops over upper and lower idler rolls through the treating tank and thence through a pair of nip or discharge rolls which are positively driven at a rate controlled by the tension in the strip, and in turn control the rate of the feed rolls. Such a system leaves a great deal to be desired, both from the standpoint of uniformity of tension and from the standpoint of apparatus complications. Not only does this system create complications because of thedelicate control equipment required, but it also fails to achieve the uniformity that is so desirable, for no system applied solely to the feed and discharge ends for. control can achieve uniformity of tension throughout the succession of loops between rollers or pulleys. When, on the other hand, an effort is made to drive the various rolls or pulleys over which the material is looped by applying uniform positive driving force to these members, the result has involved inevitably undesirable stretching or slackuess in the material.

An object of the present invention has been to solve these problems by applying a driving force to insure steady feed of the material through the apparatus at a uniform tension throughout.

A further object has been to apply uniform torque in the drive of the fabric through rollers or pulleys uniformly driven from a common source of power through individual magnetic clutches.

A stillfurther object has been to'effect'a drive of this kind through coupled driving magnets operating through an air gap whose length can be adjusted to vary the coupling effect and thus regulate the tension. This adjustment is accomplished through a control which can be operated quite simply without dismantling any part of the apparatus A still further object has been to eifect this desired degree of uniformity of feed and tension regulation in the treatment of webs' passed over rollers mounted upon parallel shafts.

Still further objects and'advantages of the invention and the manner in which they have been attained will be i tent ice evident from reading of the following specification in the light of the attached drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a combined side elevation and longitudinal cross-section through a treating tank in which a web of material isvtreated in a succession of loops or passes through a bath and over idler and feeding rollers,

Figure 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the apparatus of Figure l,

Figure 3 is cross-section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a detailed cross-section through one of the roller driving units,

FiguresS and 6 are cross-sections on the lines 5-5 and 6-6, respectively of Figure 4, and

Figure 7 is a detailed perspective view of one of the individual magnets.

Referring now to the drawing by reference numerals, the apparatus comprises a tank or compartment 10 having an inlet connection 11, a discharge connection 12 and an overflow pipe 13 for liquid such as the Washing, bleaching or dyeing liquid withwhich the fabric material is to be treated. The web of material may be guided over a succession of rotatable fabric supports in the form of rollers over which it, is passed in a succession of loops through the treating bath l'4, for ultimate discharge over the last roller and through nip or discharge rollers 15 at the left end of Figure 1.

In the form of the invention illustrated, the feed rollers 16 may be driven by a belt or chain 17 from an electric motor 18, while'the nip or discharge rollers 15 are driven synchronously with the feed'rollers by motor 19 and belt or chain 26. Certain of the compartment rollers of the tanklt are web-driving rollers and certain others are idler rollers. In the form illustrated, the upper rollers 21 are driven and the lower rollers 22 are idlers, although other combinations may be employed so long as uniform tension is obtained by applying power to the driving rollers according to the principles of the invention.

The driving rollers 21 are driven through individual connections insuring that constant torque is applied to the drive, and the lower rollers 22 are idler rollers carried upon shafts 23. The web or other fabric pursues a zigzag course over these upper and lower rollers.

The upper rollers 21 are driven byrnotor l9 and shaft 24 through a series of timing belts or chains 25 which drive sprockets 26 on the respective roller shafts at identical'speeds. These sprockets 26' in turn drive the upper shafts 27 flexibly at different speeds to accommodate for such shrinkage or stretching as may occur in the fabric material incident to its treatment, and to maintain a uniform tension in every run or flight of the web between rollers 16 and 15. To this end, each individual shaft 27 with its roller 21 is driven through its own separate magnetic coupling orclutch.

Each rollerZl is mounted fixedly on its shaft 27 for rotation therewith in bearings 51 at the sides of the tank. The sprockets 26 are journalled on sleeves 39 surrounding these shafts 27. Bushings 28 provide this bearing support and are securedflongitudinally on sleeve 39 by retaining rings 29' at their opposite ends. The hub members 3% of sprockets 26 rotate with bushings 23 about sleeve 39, and these hubs 39 are each in turn secured for rotation with individual driving rotors 31 by screws or studs 32 projecting from brass plates 33 on the outer faces of the rotors into complemental holes in the inner faces of the hubs.

Each driving rotor may comprise a number (10 as shown) of individual magnets 34, which'may be ofthe horseshoe type, and these magnets may be secured to the inner faces of rings- 33fby screws 35. The magnets lal may be inset with their poles 5!) facing inwardly, within the body. of the molded supporting wheel-36, andthis wheel may be formed of an appropriate synthetic resin,

matteiz- V Each driven rotor 38 comprises a Wheel 51 of plastic the scope and spirit 3 die-cast aluminum, or other suitablenon-magnetic material. Each wheel 36 is provided with a longitudinally extending annular flange 37 which surrounds a driven rotor 38 and serves as ashield against ingress of foreign or other non-magnetic material which may have an inset ring 41 of'brass or the like, to which are secured by screws 45 a number of magnets 42 complemental in number and positioning to the magnets 34 of driving rotor 31, when the parts are assembled as illustrated, with the poles of the respective driving and driven rotor magnets facing each other-in driving relationship across the air gap between adjacent inner and outerfaces of these respective rotors. i t

The wheel 51' carries a screwthreaded surface 43 at its inner circumference, and this meshes with a screw 44 formed on the exterior of sleeve 39 to provide screw adjustment of the longitudinal position of rotor 38, and hence of the width of the air gap between driving and driven rotors; I

The inner end of sleeve 39 is enlarged to form an adjusting wheel' id, and the circumference of this wheel is provided with indicia as indicated at 47, for registry with a pin 48 extending from wheel 51, so that the width of the air gap may be read directly in terms of the position of wheel 46 and pin 48. 'Set screws 49 and 50 secure sleeve 39 and wheel 51 against rotation relative to each other or to shaft 27, once the wheel 46 has been adjusted to the desired position relative to wheel 51'.

In operation, after the web or other fabric material is threaded through the apparatus in loops :as indicated,

' power is applied to the shafts through their respective v motors to cause rotation of the feed rollers 16, the nip or discharge rollers 15, and each of the magnet-carrying torque, with drive slippage depending entirely on feed resistance. r I 7 Now, if the material stretches because of the treatment this will instantly relieve the tension and reduce magnetic drive slippage, thereby increasing the roller speed to take up the slack, while if it shrinks, the magnetic slippage will be increasedto relieve the tension, so that no undue strain will be placed on the material. It will be evident that the apparatus is instantaneously self-compensating at every driving roller, so that the material will be maintained under uniform tension regardless of any tendency to shrink or stretch which may be caused by the treatment. If the operator desires to adjust the degree of the tinie form tension imposed, he has only to increase the air gaps in the magnetic couplings by effecting identical adjustments of the screws controlling these air gaps. 7

While the invention has been described in relation toa detailed embodiment, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that it may be modified or refined in various ways. I therefore wish it to be understood that the invention is not to be limited in interpretation except by of the following claims.

I claim: v I

1, In an apparatus for feeding continuous lengths of fabric materials through container apparatus for treating the same, means for feeding the material through said container apparatus at a substantially uniformrate and under substantially uniform tension comprising rotary feed means comprising alternating upper and lower sets of rotatable fabric supports over which the material is fed in a succession'of loops, separate shafts on which one of said sets of rotatable fabric supports are mounted individually, armagnet-carrying driven member mounted for rotation in driving relation to each of said individual- 1y mounted rotatable fabric supports, a driving rotor rotatably mounted in proximity to each magnet-carrying driven member, and magnets carried by said driving rotors spaced from said first-mentioned magnets but in magnetic driving relation therewith.

2. In an apparatus for feeding continuous lengths of fabric materials through container apparatus for treating the same, means for feeding, the material through said container apparatus at a substantially uniform rate and under substantially uniform tension comprising rotary feed means comprising alternating upper and lower sets of rotatable fabric supports over which thefmaterial is fed in a succession of loops, separate shafts on which one of said sets of rotatable fabric supports are mounted individually, a magnet-carrying driven member mounted for rotation in driving relation to each of 'said individually mounted rotatable fabric supports, a driving rotor rotatably mounted in proximity to each magnet-carrying driven member, magnets carried by said driving rotors spaced from said first-mentioned magnets but in magnetic driving relation therewith, and means for adjusting the distance by which the driving rotor magnets are spaced from the magnets on said magnet-carrying driven member.

3. In an apparatus for feeding continuous lengths of fabric materials through container apparatus for treating the same, means for feeding the material through said container apparatus at a substantially uniform rate and under substantiallyuniform tension comprising rotary feed means comprising alternating upper and lower sets of rotatabile fabric supports over which the material is fed in a succession of loop-s, separate shafts on which one of said sets of rotatable fabric supports are mounted individually, a magnet-carrying driven member mounted for rotation in driving relation to each of said individually mounted rotatable fabric supports, a driving rotor rota-tably mounted in proximity to each magnet-carrying driven member, magnets carried by said drivingrotors spaced from said first-mentioned magnets but in magnetic driving relation therewith, and means for adjusting the longitudinal distance between said magnet-carrying driven members and saiddriving rotors.

4. In an apparatus for feeding continuouslengths of fabric materials through container apparatus for treating the same, means for feeding the material through said container apparatus at a substantially uniform rate and undersubstantially uniform tensioncomprising rotary feed means comprising mternating upper and lower sets of rotatable fabric supports over which the material is fed in a succession of loops,separate shafts on which certain of said rotatable fabric supports are mounted individually, a magnet-carrying driven-member mounted for rotation in driving relation to each ofanurnber. of

said individually mounted rotatable fabric supports, a a

driving rotor rotatably mounted in proximity to each magnet-carrying driven member, and magnets carried by said driving rotors spaced fromsaid firstrmentioned mag nets but in magnetic driving relation therewith.

5. In an apparatus for feeding continuousilengths of fabric materials through container apparatus fortreating thesame, meansfor feeding the'material' through said container apparatus at a substantially miformrate and under substantially uniform tension comprising rotary feed means comprising alternating upper and lower sets of rotatable fabric sup-ports over which the materialis.

fed in a succession of loops, separate shafts on which certain of said rotatable fabric supports are mounted inare spaced from the magnets on said magnet-carrying driven member.

6. In an apparatus for feeding continuous lengths of fabric materials through container apparatus for treating the same, means for feeding the material through said container apparatus at a substantially uniform rate and under substantially uniform tension comprising rotary feed means comprising alternating upper and lower sets of rotatable fabric supports over which the material is fed in a succession of loops, separate shafts on which certain of said rotatable fabric supports are mounted individually, a magnet-carrying driven member mounted for rotation in driving relation to each of a number of said individually mounted rotatable fabric supports, a driving rotor rotatably mounted in proximity to each magnet-carrying driven member, magnets carried by said driving rotors spaced from said first-mentioned magnets but in magnetic driving relation therewith, and means for rapidly adjusting the longitudinal distance between said magnet-carrying driven members and said driving rotors Without dismantling any part of the equipment.

7. In an apparatus for feeding continuous lengths of fabric materials through container apparatus for treating the same, means for feeding the material through said container apparatus at a substantially uniform rate and under substantially uniform tension comprising rotary feed means comprising alternating upper and lower sets of rotatable fabric supports over which the material is fed in a succession of loops, separate shafts on which certain of said rotatable fabric supports are mounted individually, a magnet-carrying driven member mounted for rotation in driving relation to each of a number of said individually mounted rotatable fabric supports, a driving rotor rotatably mounted in proximity to each magnetcarrying driven member, magnets carried by said driving rotors spaced from said first-mentioned magnets but in magnetic driving relation therewith, screw threaded means for rapidly adjusting the longitudinal distance between said magnet-carrying driven members and said driving rotors without dismantling any part of the equipment, and registering threaded means providing a visual indication of the amount of said adjustment.

8. In an apparatus for feeding continuous lengths of fabric materials through container apparatus for treating the same, means for feeding the material through said container apparatus at a substantially uniform rate and under substantially uniform tension comprising rotary feed means comprising alternating upper and lower sets of rotatable fabric supports over which the material is fed in a succession of loops, separate shafts on which the upper set of rotatable fabric supports are mounted individually, a magnet-carrying driven member mounted for rotation in driving relation to each of said individually mounted rotatable fabric supports, a driving rotor rotatably mounted in proximity to each magnet-carrying driven member, and magnets carried by said driving rotors spaced from said first-mentioned magnets but in magnetic driving relation therewith.

9. In an apparatus for feeding continuous lengths of fabric materials through container apparatus for treating the same, means for feeding the material through said con tainer apparatus at a substantially uniform rate and under substantially uniform tension comprising rotary feed means comprising alternating upper and lower sets of rotatable fabric supports over which the material is fed in a succession of loops, separate shafts on which certain of said rotatable fabric supports are mounted individually, a magnet-carrying driven member mounted for rotation in driving relation to each of a number of said individually mounted rotatable fabric supports, a driving rotor rotatably mounted in proximity to each magnet-carrying driven member, magnets carried by said driving rotors spaced from said first-mentioned magnets but in magnetic driving relation therewith, and screw threaded means for rapidly effecting relative longitudinal movement between the driving rotors and driven members to adjust the magnetic spacing between these members.

10. In an apparatus for feeding continuous Webs of material through container apparatus for treating the same, means for feeding the material through said container apparatus at a substantially uniform rate and under substantiaily uniform tension comprising rotary feed means comprising alternating upper and lower sets of rollers over which the material is fed in a succession of loops, separate shafts on which one of said sets of rollers are mounted individually, a magnet-carrying driven member mounted for rotation in driving relation to each of said individually mounted rollers, a driving rotor rotatably mounted in proximity to each magnet-carrying driven member, and magnets carried by said driving rotors spaced from said first-mentioned magnets but in magnetic driving relation therewith.

ll. In an apparatus for feeding continuous lengths of fabric materials through container apparatus for treating the same, means for feeding the material through said container apparatus at a substantially uniform rate and under substantially uniform tension comprising rotary feed means comprising alternating upper and lower sets of rotatable fabric supports over which the material is fed in a succession of loops, separate shafts on which one of said sets of rotatable fabric supports are secured for rotation with said shafts, a magnet-carrying driven member also secured for rotation on each of said shafts, a driving rotor rotatably mounted with respect to each of said shafts and about said respective shafts in proximity to each magnetcarrying driven member, and magnets carried by said driving rotors spaced from said first-mentioned magnets but in magnetic driving relation therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,701,717 Morrill Feb. 8, 1955 

